Banquets of the nations

Peel half an orange, removing all the white pith ; cut the skin into slices, then in thin strips ; put them in a gill of water to boil for two minutes ; drain on a sieve, and throw the water away. Place in a pan two spoonfuls of demi-glaze, and when boiling add the orange strips and the juice, a little sugar, a little made mustard, and a pinch of cayenne. Simmer ten minutes, skim, and serve. WEST INDIES Plantain Fritters. Put four tablespoonfuls of flour into a basin ; add a dozen ripe plantains (bananas may be substituted), one teacupful of milk, sugar to sweeten, a few cardamoms and caraway seeds, and two well-beaten eggs. Form these into a batter, take up a tablespoonful at a time and drop it into boiling fat, and fry to a golden colour, turning the fritters, over so as to cook on both sides. Drain, dust sugar over, and serve hot. Orange Fritters. Put one pound of flour into a basin, and stir in gradually (keeping it quite smooth) one quart of milk and five well-beaten eggs. Turn the batter into a saucepan, and stir it over a moderate fire for twenty minutes without letting it boil ; then remove it to the side, and mix in four tablespoonfuls of castor sugar, one tablespoonful of finely chopped orange peel, half a saltspoonful of salt, and the well-beaten yolks of five eggs. Butter a baking-sheet, and when the custard is well mixed spread it on a dish to about one inch in thickness. When cold cut it into equal-sized pieces, dip them in beaten egg and then in finely grated breadcrumb, and fry in butter till a golden brown. Drain the fritters, dust some castor sugar over, and serve on a hot dish with a folded napkin on it. LI.— IRELAND Menu Balnamoon Skink Scrooch Dublin Bay Haddocks Grilled Herrings Irish Stew Packet Crubeens and Boxty Boiled Beef, Greens and Dumplings Braised Belfast Ham Calecannon Roast Plover and Salad Kerry Pudding Carageen in Moulds Kildare Puffs Barnbreak Devilled Bones Fruit Balnamoon Skink. Clean and cut into pieces two or three young cocks or fowls. Have one larger neatly trussed for boiling. Boil the cut fowls till the broth is as strong and good as they can make it ; but do not overboil the trussed one. Strain the broth, season it with parsley, chives, and young onions chopped, and, if in season, a few tender green peas. Add white pepper and salt, and serve the whole fowl in the tureen. Scrooch. Boil three pounds of brisket of beef, two pounds neck of mutton and a little salt in two gallons of water. Skim carefully three different times, putting in a cupful of cold water each time it boils up. Put in half a carrot, quarter of a turnip, and two pounds of onions sliced. Simmer for two hours, take out the carrot and turnip (but not the onions), and put in two pounds of potatoes sliced, some pepper, and more salt if necessary, and simmer for another hour ; give a good stir round, and pour into a tureen. It ought to be of the same consistency as thin porridge. Boiled Dublin Bay Haddock. Cut four or five incisions upon each side of the fish an inch deep, then put it into a deep dish, and cover well with salt. Let it remain about two hours, then put the fish in boiling water, and, if five or six pounds in weight, simmer from thirty to forty minutes ; dish it on a napkin 385 2B